UAE FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS MFA PREPARED TO ENGAGE WITH US ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000871 E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIP ELAB AE SUBJECT: UAE FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS MFA PREPARED TO ENGAGE WITH US ON TIP ISSUES Classified by Ambassador Richard Olson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). REFS: A) ABU DHABI 603 B) ABU DHABI 476 ¶1. (C) During a 31 August meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ),Ambassador pressed the UAE to engage with the US on Trafficking in Persons issues, urging that the issue not be left unaddressed. (NOTE: the UAEG was shocked by the publication of the annual TIP report, and its placement on the Tier II watchlist. Since the Watchlist announcement we have received negative signals about further engagement with the USG on this issue.) ¶2. (C) AbZ thanked Ambassador for the intervention, and said that the UAE did want to engage the USG in dialogue on this issue. He proposed that Minister of State Anwar Gargash visit the United States toward the end of the year to discuss this and other bilateral issues. Ambassador asked whether the UAE would welcome a visit by G/TIP Ambassador Luis CdeBaca. AbZ replied that of course he would be welcome. ¶3. (C) AbZ said that the UAE was a young country, was growing very rapidly, and welcomed advice from friends on how to deal with its shortfalls. Ambassador said that the USG appreciated the leadership that the UAE had shown on the issue of sex trafficking, but that there were still challenges in the area of labor, especially trafficking of guest workers. AbZ said he welcomed a dialogue on these issues. OLSON